Intensity Therapeutics calls on SAKK for cancer drug trial

Intensity Therapeutics has teamed up with the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) to conduct a Phase II of a candidate breast cancer therapy.

The contract – financial terms of which were not provided – will see SAKK run a controlled trial evaluating the clinical and biological effects of the drug candidate - INT230-6 – in combination combined with chemotherapy in women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.

SAKK will aim to recruit 54 patients at sites in Switzerland and selected countries in the European Union (EU).

Under the terms of the contract SAKK will be the "legal sponsor" of the study, with the regulatory agencies in Switzerland and the European Union. The firm will also ensure that all investigators and personnel who participate in the study are informed and trained.

For its part Intensity will fund the study and provide the investigational drug product, and other necessary information to conduct the trial.

Intensity CEO Lewis Bender said, "We are excited to be working with SAKK on our INVINCIBLE-4 Study in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer,” adding that the data from this study are expected to be in the second half of 2025.

SAKK – which describes itself as a decentralized academic research institute- has been conducting clinical trials of cancer treatments since 1965. It has a network of 22 hospitals across the country where studies are conducted.

The organisation has a “competence centre” in the capital Bern where it coordinates clinical operations.

SAKK’s research activity is funded by federal subsidies provided by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and financial support from other partner organizations such as the Swiss Cancer League and the Swiss Cancer Research Foundation.

INT230-6 is composed of two potent anti-cancer agents - cisplatin and vinblastine - and a penetration enhancer molecule (SHAO) that helps disperse potent cytotoxic drugs throughout tumors for diffusion into cancer cells.

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